Ara Pacis, one of the most famous monuments of Rome, was built in 9 BC to celebrate the return of Emperor Augustus from Spain and Gaul. It was dedicated to Peace and originally stood in the Campus Martius. The renovation of the Ara Pacis, which began in the sixteenth century, was concluded only in 1938, thanks to Mussolini who had decided to rebuild the Ara Pacis in its present location. In 1995, after years of damage caused by humidity and smog, the city of Rome decided to begin restauration of the Ara Pacis and employed american architect Richard Meier to design the glass structure that currently protects the monument within. To reach Ara Pacis you can take the subway (Line A), get off at "Flaminio" and prosegue on Via di Ripetta.